Infinite Majesty
by DTS
Summary: Alan Kelly aids the Doctor and Martha in the fight against the Master. Includes scenes and dialogue from The Last of the Time Lords.  Sequel to "8:02"


Alan arrived back on Earth on a vast expanse of green overlooking London. The city was burning as the Toclafane flew overhead, firing on anything they wanted. He turned and saw Martha running for shelter in the trees. He followed, calling her name as loud as he dared.

He caught up with her just inside the tree line. "Martha, hold on!"

She turned on him. "You should've stopped him! You could've prevented all this!"

"How? He never told me his plans and kept me either prisoner in the TARDIS or on such a short lead, I could only do what he wanted."

"You could've..." The anger was leaving her as the shock set in.

"Martha, he killed the Cabinet and got me to get rid of the bodies by threatening to hurt Tish."

"Alan, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things."

He put his arms around her. "It's okay. I know a place where we'll be okay and get ourselves together."

"But the Doctor wants me to-"

"Stop right there. Don't tell me anything. All I need to know is the Doctor set you a quest. Who said you couldn't start it in Cardiff?" He teleported them both to the Hub.

Martha looked about in amazement at the large multi-level cavernous lair. "What is this place?"

"Torchwood Three. This is where Jack's been keeping himself for the last 100 years or so."

"Why is it empty?" She looked at the workstations and saw the computers bore dustcovers.

"The Master sent them to the Himalayas so Jack couldn't call on them for help. I'm going to go get them. You should be safe here because of the filter. When we get back, we'll work out a plan to start you on your way."

Martha eased onto a sofa. "You won't be long, will you?"

"Blink of an eye."

"Good." She gave him a tired smile.

Alan thought about Jack's team, using their names and faces to help him focus. Then he was in a wood hut with four automatics aimed at him. "Somebody call for a cab?"

"Alan?" Ianto was the first to lower his gun.

Tosh hugged him while Gwen holstered her weapon.

"How the hell did you get here?" Owen demanded, putting away his own gun.

"I used my head."

"Teleport?" Tosh questioned.

"And I can only take two at a time, so who's going first?"

After it was decided, Alan took Tosh and Owen back to Cardiff and introduced them to Martha. He then went back to Gwen and Ianto. The two had to hold him steady.

"Can you do this?" Gwen asked.

"It's not like I have a choice. I have a feeling that I'll pass out once we get back to the Hub, so there are a few things you need to get started on right away."

* * *

Two months into his reign and the Master had already reshaped world politics. Country leaders who agreed with his policies retained governorship, accountable only to him. Those who didn't were replaced with ones who did.

As for the general public, only those with practical and useful skills-scientists, doctors, and military-were allowed to retain their position. Other professions like lawyers, teachers and all blue-collar workers were relocated to labour camps to help build the new glorious empire.

Communications were closely monitored. All TV and radio broadcasts had to be approved by him. The Internet was no more and phones were for official use only.

Even so, the odd pirate broadcast would come through, telling stories of hope and freedom. The majority of them seemed to revolve around the Doctor and each was different. The Master knew Kelly had to be behind this, gathering stories from former companions and those who had met the other Time Lord just the once.

He also had spies and snitches inside many of the labour camps and these sources informed him of two stories circulating. One was of a woman who would cross the world alone on a quest and would return one year to the day to destroy him. _And I thought she wouldn't be a problem._

The other story was more expected. A large resistance network had spread across Great Britain and Ireland, all supposedly masterminded by someone known only as the Colonel. _The arrogance! _He was coming across as some sort of Robin Hood, giving the workers some sort of hope. Trying to track down someone in the resistance was hard enough, but when that someone was also able to teleport, it was near impossible.

"Sir." One of the clerks stood there.

The Master looked up from his plans. "What?"

"An urgent communication from-"

The Master snatched the paper from the man's hand and the clerk scurried away. A shipment to the yards at Portsmouth was blown up and everything was destroyed. He threw the papers onto the table. "You!" He looked at the other end of the long table and pointed a finger at the Doctor. "This is all your fault!"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word. Francine and Tosh stood on either side of him, forgetting that they were _his_ servants, not the Doctor's.

Well, Kelly's attempt to delay production would only mean that the workers would have to put in longer hours. That could only turn the people against him.

Such a thought cheered him a little bit, but not enough. He strode over the Doctor and grabbed the handles of the wheelchair. "C'mon, Gramps. It's time to check on the captain."

* * *

Alan waited in the bushes overlooking the road that would carry the Master's supply convoy. This was the ideal spot for the ambush as the stretch of road was straight between two bends with perfect cover for hiding. The "Planning Committee" devised a plot that allowed for six small groups to attack simultaneously.

His "troops" were a mix of different organizations including Torchwood (obviously), UNIT, MI5, as well as the regular military branches. He was aware that they all looked to him as the leader and he found it daunting. At least he knew he could be comfortable with these people and let them see the pressure he was under and he need for support.

But it wasn't just fighters he was responsible for. He now had to worry about civilians who had joined their cause and made their home at the base. That was one of the reasons for these raids. Supplies were stretched thin. Thumbing his nose at the Master also played a major role.

"Sir?"

Alan looked over at a young soldier with a terribly boyish face who was in charge of communication. "Ross, drop the 'sir', okay? What is it?"

"The convoy's been sighted."

"OK, tell them to wait until the trucks are all within the zone before anyone makes a move. Maintain radio silence from now on unless there is a dire emergency."

Ross relayed the message. "Is it true that you knew the Master before all this?" he asked. "It's so hard to tell what's true and what's not nowadays."

Alan kept his eyes on the road. "Yes, it's true. Believe me, he was saner back then. I'm sure he's made UNIT's files."

"But I'm not really privy to those files, being just a foot soldier."

"You think of yourself as just a foot soldier, that's all you'll be. You've got to be open to new ideas, think outside the box. You never know when you'll be put into a situation when all your training will mean nothing."

"Like this?"

Alan could hear the smile in his voice. "Yeah, like this." Through his binoculars, he could see the convoy as it made its way along the road. Not much longer. _Now!_ He sent the order to each group and the ambush began.

* * *

"Sir, we've just received word that the convoy to Dover has been attacked."

"And?" The Master waited.

"Everything was taken. Six soldiers were killed."

The Master slammed his fist against the table. "This is becoming intolerable. What else do you have to tell me?"

"The survivors are saying all the groups attacked as one without any form of communication."

"Oh, there was communication. It was Kelly. I give him a gift and he uses it against me."

"If I may be so bold, sir, have you tried to infiltrate the Resistance?"

"In the beginning. All new recruits are brought before Kelly and he reads them. He'd know if anyone was spying for me. I just need to leak some information about something he can't resist. The man is too much of a Robin Hood."

* * *

Alan sat on the bluffs overlooking the ocean and watched the sun go down. He had had to escape the close confines of the underground base and just be alone for a bit. He heard a footfall behind him on the loose rocks. "Hello, Gwen," he said without turning around.

"How did you know it was me?" She sat beside him.

"I just knew that you'd be the one to check up on me."

"To be fair, Ianto was the one who knew you had left. Is everything okay?"

"I just needed time away to think." He faced her. "Gwen, I'm beginning to feel like just a figurehead. Everything is moving so smoothly, it's almost as if I'm unnecessary. I need to move on to something else."

"You're the head of the Resistance on Earth. Where is there to go?"

He looked skywards with just his eyes.

"No," she exclaimed as what he meant registered. "You can't!"

"I've thought it all out and it's the next step."

"You had better tell everyone at once and let them get used to it."

"You're not going to try and talk me out of it?"

"It would only be a wasted effort."

They both sat there and watched as the last bit of sun disappeared. "Okay, that'll have to hold me for awhile." Alan stood and offered Gwen a hand. "Time to break the news."

It only took a few moments for word to spread that "The Colonel" wanted to speak. Alan watched as the members of the resistance gathered. Knowing all these people looked to him for leadership made what he was about to say that much harder. He cleared his throat nervously and everything hushed as they looked at him expectantly.

Alan took a deep breath and began. "I'd like to start by saying how proud I am of everyone. Tosh and her fellow technicians have found alien tech that could be made to run our equipment which makes it harder to the Master to find us by an energy trace." He paused for the applause and could see that Tosh was blushing at the attention.

"There's Ianto and his team who have done a wonderful job coordinating cells and organizing information with limited means of communication." Ianto nodded his head graciously in acceptance.

"Then there's the medical team performing surgeries in less-than-ideal conditions and with equipment that has seen better days. Did I get that right, Owen?"

"Not my exact words, but, yeah," replied the Torchwood doctor as he leaned against the wall.

Alan smiled. "I know how much everyone has given up to be here, to do what they think is right. You all deserve praise." He paused for the general applause.

"I'm telling you this now because I plan to move on as there is nothing more I can do here." The protests echoed. "I'm not giving up the fight, I'm just...relocating."

Ianto spoke up. "You're going back to the _Valiant_."

"Yes, I am."

At this admission, those listening began protesting in earnest, shouting out reasons for him to stay.

Alan held out his hands to quiet them. "I've thought it out, and this is the best way. The Master will lessen his search for all of you once he has me. Plus, I can irritate the hell out of him to his face." That got a laugh. "Now, it's going to take some detailed planning so I'll probably be around for another month or so, but I just wanted everyone to know. Um, okay, I guess that's it." He stepped down and walked to the acting Operations Room to plan his own capture.

* * *

The Master sat across from his recent nemesis as a medic applied a field dressing to the gunshot wound in Kelly's shoulder. When word had come to him that the Resistance was planning a raid with the Colonel himself leading it, the Master had known he had to be there.

Oh, and it had been worth it. The moment his guards had stepped from the shadows to surround the Resistance had been a thing of joy. He did have to admit the fighters had handled themselves well even after the firing had began. He didn't know if they had gotten anyone else, but once Kelly had been taken, he didn't care.

"You have led me on quite a chase, playing Robin Hood and giving these people false hope."

"I don't believe there is such a thing." He closed his eyes and rested his head on the seat back behind him. "Having hope and a belief in something more makes dreary days more bearable. But I guess you wouldn't know much about hope."

_Aside from all those years hoping the Doctor would get himself killed, no._ The Master looked at the prisoner and wondered how he could be so relaxed. Other captives always ended up begging and pleading for their lives or going into a state of shock. He knew no painkillers had been given - he wanted the man to suffer. It both intrigued and annoyed him that he spent time puzzling on Alan Kelly.

When the plane landed on the _Valiant_, he strode ahead and let the guards "escort" Kelly behind him. Once on the bridge, everything stopped and all eyes looked in his direction. When Kelly was brought in, the murmurs started and then came the applause.

Kelly gave a little half-smile as if he thought the applause was for him. _At least he's not bowing._ "I want everyone on the bridge for broadcast in five minutes," he announced over the tannoy.

The Doctor arrived with the Joneses - Clive pushing his chair - followed by Harkness and two armed guards. When they saw Kelly as his prisoner, the Master could see the hope leave them. _Perfect!_

He moved over to the camera that would broadcast to the world below. He straightened his tie and then switched the camera on by remote. "Peoples of the Earth, I bring you good news. A raid by the Resistance in Britain was foiled with little loss of life. But that is not the news I wish to impart. The Resistance leader known as the Colonel has been taken into custody." He motioned with his hand and Alan was pushed into the camera's range.

"He will remain incarcerated onboard the _Valiant_ so everyone can rest easier knowing this terrorist is behind bars. Continue to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to your local authorities. With everyone's cooperation, we will wipe out the Resistance." He shut off the camera.

"Oh, bravo," commented Kelly. "Wonderful speech. The 'everyone can rest easier' bit was a nice touch."

"I'm so glad you approve." The Master reached into his pocket and withdrew the cuff bracelet and snapped it onto Kelly's wrist. "This has been modified for this occasion. Now I truly am the only one who can take it off." He pushed back the sleeve of his jacket to show its twin. "With this I can also control the psi dampener so you can only use your abilities when I allow you." The Master looked at their audience. "Tish."

The girl hesitated, but after a nod from the Doctor, approached him. "Sir?"

The Master reached for her right hand and snapped a third bracelet on her wrist. "You, my dear Tish, will be my backup plan to keep the good colonel under control. Should he do anything I don't like, you will receive his punishment."

"Threatening the weak?" accused Harkness. "I thought you were trying to change your image."

"Oh, look, your spots are showing," added Kelly.

The Master still could not get anything out of the Doctor. He just sat there and watched the performance. "Lock them away!" he ordered, fuming. When they had gone, he fell into a chair. "Where's Tanya? I want a massage!"

* * *

A few months into being at the Master's beck and call again, Alan had realized the Master was fast loosing what little hold he had on reality. He hardly ever set foot on Earth. All leaders had to come aboard the _Valiant_ and that's when he was called in. The Master just loved letting everyone know that the man who once opposed him was now forced to work for him.

During these brief moments when the Master had allowed him to use his abilities, Alan contacted the Doctor. At first, the Doctor had closed his mind, which made Alan think he didn't want any distractions. Alan persisted and the Time Lord had opened up, telling him some of his overall plan but wisely withheld the details. Alan then returned the favour by telling how he allowed himself to be caught.

It wasn't until later that they had begun to formulate a plan to stop the Master. Unfortunately, that couldn't implement it in time to save Japan. The Master had made them all watch to prove how far he would go. But now they were ready. Jack and the Joneses were aware of what they had to do. They just had to wait for a delegation sympathetic to the cause to arrive.

The day the Dutch came to visit was the day they put their plan into action. Using telekinesis. Alan unlocked the cells holding his fellow prisoners and then locked the bulkheads to keep the guards from cutting them off as they made their way to the bridge. Once this was done, Alan put himself into the conversation, nodding when appropriate.

Perhaps ten minutes later, the leader of the delegation's sentence drifted off and all three stared at the door behind the Master.

"What?" Irritated, the Master turned around.

"Are we interrupting?" Jack stood there, rifle in hand, covering the room.

Clive Jones came in wielding an automatic, followed by his family and the Doctor.

"What the hell is this?" the Master demanded.

"Coup, rebellion, revolution, whatever word strikes your fancy," Alan answered as he deftly caught the gun Jack threw to him. He turned it on the Master.

"Any last words before we end this?"

The Master sneered. "You can't do it, Kelly. In battle is one thing, but you're not an executioner."

"We both know a regular gun can't do any real harm, you'll just regenerate. Killing you was not the objective, anyway."

"Hurry up!" Tish warned. "The guards have made it through!"

With his concentration on the Master, Alan didn't see one of the delegates as he came up from behind. Francine called out, and, as he turned, the man knocked his arm, forcing him to drop the gun.

The Master snatched it from the floor and aimed it at Alan. "You neglected to scan them this time, a very costly mistake. Captain, Mr Jones, drop your weapons. If my guards see you with them, they'll open fire. It will make a mess and I'll have no one to clean it up."

"Do it," Alan said without taking his eyes from the Master.

Jack and Clive dropped their guns just as the guards arrived.

"I don't know why I thought I could control you without any way to truly break you. That's the problem with heroes." He fired.

Alan felt it as it struck him in the chest. The look on the Master's face was priceless when he realized it was only a tranquilliser gun. Alan swayed as the sedative began to take affect. "Told you we didn't want to kill you." He fell to his knees. _Damn, this is powerful stuff._ "Just wanted to fix it," he mumbled. "Fix the timelines. 'S wrong." He fell back, unconscious.

* * *

The Master was in a terrific mood. Today the _Valiant_ returned to the skies over Britain, back to where it all started. Tomorrow would be the anniversary of his rise to power and he would celebrate by launching his rockets. In addition to that, there had been no further uprisings since that poor attempt a few months back. Buying that Dutch delegate was certainly money well spent. Kelly definitely would have pulled the trigger.

The Joneses had been relocated from the servants' quarters to the cells. Being the softy he was, they remained together. Harkness had been moved down to the bowels of the ship and chained spread-eagle. It made cleaning up after their "sessions" that much easier. Kelly had been put in isolation with the psi dampener always on. Ah, but the best punishment was the Doctor's. The Master smiled as he remembered the Doctor's expression as he saw his new quarters. He thought of the water bowl with "DOG" printed on the side a nice touch. Oh, he knew he should have killed the Doctor, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it - not without humiliating him first.

It was almost 3:00 and he strode the halls towards the bridge, Lucy, ever faithful, following. "Time for my massage," he said to no one and everyone as he entered the room. "Who shall I have today? Tanya. Come on, sweetheart. Lucy, have you met Tanya? She's gorgeous." He took off his jacket and threw it casually onto the table. "Tanya, when we get to the stars, I'm gonna take you to Katria Nova. Whirlpools of gold." He sat down and looked between the two women. "You two should get to know each other. That might be fun." He began to relax as Tanya started to massage his shoulders.

An alarm began to blare and Condition Red was announced over the PA. "What the hell?" The Master stormed up the steps to the bridge proper to see what was wrong. A diagnostic showed a fire just outside engineering.

"Men are already on the way to put it out, sir," one of the technicians showed him.

"Good." He turned to go back down and saw the Doctor aiming his own laser screwdriver at him. "Oh, I see," he said as he raised his hands.

"I told you. I have one thing to say." The Doctor tried to use the screwdriver but it wouldn't work.

The Master laughed as the Doctor kept trying. "Isomorphic controls," he said as he leaned over. He grabbed the screwdriver and backhanded the Doctor, knocking him to the floor. "Which means they only work for me. Like this." He shot at a spot on the wall near Francine's head. "Say sorry!"

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry!" she responded, scared and defiant at the same time.

"Mum!" Tish ran to her mother's side.

"Didn't you learn anything from the blessed Saint Martha?" Lucy picked up his jacket and helped him put it on. "Siding with the Doctor is a very dangerous thing to do. Take them away."

After a guard had taken the two women away, the Master turned his attention to the Doctor. "Okay. Gotcha." He lifted the other Time Lord to a chair. "There you go, Gramps." He sat on the edge of the table facing his former enemy. "Oh, do you know, I remember the days when the Doctor, oh, that famous Doctor, was waging a time war. Battling Sea Devils and Axons. He sealed the rift at the Medusa Cascade single-handed. Ooh. And look at him now. Stealing screwdrivers. How did he ever come to this? Oh yeah. Me!" He laughed at how the worm had turned.

"I just need you to listen," the Doctor panted.

"No, it's my turn. Revenge! Best served hot! And this time...it's a message for Miss Jones."

* * *

Alan was lying on his bunk reading when he heard the keys jangling in the lock. He carefully marked his place and sat up as one of the guards wheeled in a TV on a trolley. "What's this, a treat for good behaviour?"

"The Master wanted to make sure you saw this." The guard turned on the machine to static.

The Master appeared onscreen, his hands aiming the camera at his face. "My people, salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman," he added as if talking about a person. "But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope." He walked to stand beside the Doctor. "But I ask you...how much hope has this man got? Say hello, Gandalf." The Doctor merely stared at the camera. "Except he's not that old but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted, little apes. What if it showed? What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All 900 years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?" He aimed the screwdriver at the Doctor just like he had that first day on the _Valiant_. "Older and older and older."

Alan watched the screen as the Doctor writhed in agony, unable to help him just as before.

"Down you go, Doctor." The Doctor fell to the floor. "Down, down, down you go." He stopped and there was silence. "Doctor." He bent down and the camera followed to show the Doctor's empty clothes lying on the floor.

Then, up by the neck, there was movement. When the small creature that was now the Doctor peeped its head out, Alan was beyond furious. _You bastard!_ He directed all his anger towards the Master. They were the last of their kind. How could he treat the Doctor this way? It wasn't like he had anything the Master wanted.

He saw the Master wince on camera like he was in pain, but there was nothing... "Oh, crap," Alan said before falling to the floor.

He must have passed out because the next thing he heard was one of the guards. "He just fell and lay there."

"It was the inhibitor. I did warn him not to use his powers." It was the Master.

"Talking about me in the past tense already?" Alan questioned. "You can't get rid of me that easily." He slowly opened his eyes expecting to see the Master's smug face, but instead saw nothing but blackness. _Great._

"That inhibitor should have killed you!" the Master complained.

"Well, you'll be happy to know it blinded me."

"Really? You're not just saying that?"

Alan thought that the Master would just wave his hand to test him, so he was surprised when the book hit him on the shoulder. "Ow!"

"Just testing."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

"How could I not? Help him up," he ordered the guard.

A pair of hands lifted him from under the shoulders. "What's going on?"

"You're less of a threat now than before so I'm taking you back into the general population."

"Oh, how magnanimous."

"Curb your tongue and maybe I'll get you an Alsatian. Take him up to the bridge."

The guard yanked Alan's arm and pulled him along. Fearing the man would purposely walk him into a wall, Alan risked a look through the guard's eyes and put his hands out just in time to keep from smashing his face. "Part of the whole guiding thing is to warn me about stuff like that," he criticized.

"Really? Sorry about that," the guard remarked insincerely. "It won't happen again."

True to his word, the guard kept away from walls. Doors and stairs were another matter. Alan fell a few times so as not to make the man suspicious. _I guess taking the lift would have been too easy._

When the doors opened to the bridge, Alan didn't need his guard's vision to know that everyone was staring at him; he could feel it. The Master had arrived before them and made a big show of how lenient he was being. He came over and took Alan by the arm and walked him across the room towards the Doctor.

"What did you do to him?" the Doctor demanded after Alan stumbled into a chair.

"Nothing," the Master answered, affronted. "This is due to you."

Alan didn't want the Doctor shouldering any added guilt so he clarified. _I think I broke the inhibitor_, he added for the Doctor's benefit.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said softly.

"Oh, please. You're not about to get all mushy, are you? It's time for Kelly to see his new digs. Oh, sorry," he added, not the least bit apologetic. He yanked Alan's arm and pulled him to another section of the room. "Get down on your hands and knees," the Master ordered.

Alan did so slowly and cautiously crept forward until he put his hand in water - a dog dish. He heard the Master chuckle as he drew out his hand and wiped it off.

"I know I said I'd get you a dog, but this saves both trouble and expense."

Alan was not going to get angry, as that was exactly what the Master wanted. "It's a bit smaller than what I was looking for," he said, peering inside, "but it seems to be in a good area with nice neighbours." He turned his head to where he hoped the Master was standing. "Sold."

"I don't believe you grasp the concept," the Master said coldly. "You are no better than a dog and there is only one person lower than you."

Alan had the feeling that the Master wanted to hit him, but thought better of it and walked away. He gave what he hoped was a glare at the Time Lord's back. "To quote my friend Will, 'the cat will mew and the dog will have his day'."

* * *

That night, the Master went back to the conference room, Lucy clinging to his arm. The room was quiet enough for him to hear Kelly breathing as he slept. The Doctor, however, was watching his every move. "Tomorrow, they launch." He strolled into the room, hands in his pockets. "We're opening up a rift in the Braccatolian space. They won't see us coming. Kinda scary."

"Then stop."

_Oh, how cute. The Doctor thinks he can stop me._ "Once the empire is established and there's a new Gallifrey in the heavens, maybe then... it stops."

He peered at the Doctor through the bars. "The drumming. The never-ending drumbeat." He thought back to that night as a child when he stood in front of the Untempered Schism. That was the night this all started. "Ever since I was a child. I looked into the vortex. That's when it chose me. The drumming, the call to war. Can't you hear it? Listen, it's there now. Right now. Tell me you can hear it, Doctor. Tell me."

"It's only you," the Doctor replied, verging on pity.

"Good." That meant he was chosen and not in need of anyone's pity, least of all the Doctor's.

The door slid open and one of the 'Toclafane' floated in. "Tomorrow, the war," it said. "Tomorrow we rise never to fall."

"You see?" The Master faced the Doctor. "I'm doing it for them! You should be grateful. After all, you love them so very, very much." He walked over and sat at the table. "I took Lucy to Utopia. A Time Lord and his human companion. I took her to see the stars. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

"Trillions of years into the future," she said softly. "To the end of the universe."

"Tell him what you saw," the Master prompted.

"Dying. Everything dying. The whole of creation was falling apart. And I thought...there's no point. No point to anything. Not ever."

"And it's all your fault," he said to make his nemesis squirm. He continued telling the Doctor what his favourite species had been reduced to. "You should have seen it, Doctor. Furnaces burning, the last of humanity, screaming at the dark. All that human invention that had sustained them across the eons, it all turned inwards. They cannibalised themselves."

"We made ourselves so pretty," said the floating sphere.

"Regressing into children. But it didn't work. The universe was collapsing around them."

"Then the Mister Master arrived and promised to help us, to save us from the dark."

"The Paradox Machine," said the Doctor.

"My masterpiece, Doctor. A living TARDIS, strong enough to hold the paradox in place, allowing the past and the future to collide in infinite majesty."

"But you're changing history," the Doctor protested. "Not just Earth, the entire universe."

"I'm a Time Lord. I have that right."

"But even then, why come all this way just to destroy?"

The human from the end of the universe answered. "We've come backwards in time to build a brand new empire lasting 100 trillion years."

"With me as their master. Time Lord and humans combined. Haven't you always dreamt of that, Doctor?" He stood and walked back to the Doctor's cage. "Human race, greatest monster of them all. Night-night." With his arm about Lucy, he walked out. The sphere followed.

* * *

Alan dosed on and off in his tent and heard part of the Master's conversation with the Doctor. No wonder Lucy was putting up no resistance. She had been shown the future of the human race and decided that nothing she did - or would do - meant anything. Somehow, he had to get through to her, make her realize she had to live in the now.

Perhaps an hour or so later, he heard the door slide open. He then heard the Master as he spoke to the Doctor. "Guess what? You'll get to have a reunion just in time for the launch tomorrow. I'm on my way to escort Miss Jones back personally."

"Just like you did with Alan," the Doctor replied.

"Of course! They both escaped from me, so it's only right that I'm the one to bring them in." His footsteps headed back towards the door. "Sleep well!"

Once the door had closed behind the Master, Alan made his way to the Doctor's cage. "He sounds like the cat that swallowed the canary. Do you want me to go down and help her?"

"No, it's all part of the plan." The Doctor looked at him quizzically. "Do you mean you can?"

"Everything's coming back, even the vision. Though, I remember you as taller."

The Doctor chuckled which was a good sign. "It does have its compensations. He pretty much leaves me alone unless he wants to gloat."

"Yeah, I heard some of that earlier. Do you think that's why Lucy's the way she is?"

"Most likely. We need a chance to talk to her alone."

"You mean like now?" Alan headed for the door. "Don't wait up."

He made his way through the ship to the Master's quarters and passed very few guards so made it in good time. Surprisingly, there was no one at the door. I guess they don't think anyone would dare approach him in his quarters. He sensed Lucy was inside alone. The door opened and he stepped inside. She wasn't in the sitting room, so he headed for one of the other doors and knocked.

"I'm fine," came her reply. "Go away."

He ignored her and opened the door. She was sitting at a vanity looking in the mirror. He could see the redness just under her right eye. "That's going to leave a nasty bruise."

She turned at the sight of his reflection. "What are you doing here?" she demanded as she clutched her silk robe close.

"I've waited too long for this." He stopped when he saw her deer-in-the-headlights gaze. "Okay, that did not come out right. I just want to talk to you, Lucy, that's all." He spotted a chair resting against the wall that was just far enough away to keep her at ease, yet close enough for them to converse.

"I'll sit over here if it makes you feel better."

"Harry would kill you if he knew you were here."

_She still calls him 'Harry'?_ "That's why I waited for him to leave. Are you going to call the guards and have me hauled off yet again?"

"No," she answered after a pause.

"Thank you." Alan leaned forward in his chair. "I heard what you saw when the Master took you in the TARDIS, but how did that affect you? How did that make you feel?" _Damn, I feel like a shrink._

"It was cold, dark and dismal. There was nothing, just emptiness. I saw what the human race becomes." She looked at him, her eyes hollow from what she had witnessed. "What's the point of doing anything if we end up like that?"

"People just need to worry about the next couple generations. Where you went is way too far ahead for anyone now to even worry about. Hell, it's even too far ahead for people of my time to worry about. Not that there's anyone there now."

"What do you mean?"

"With this paradox in place, the Master has changed the future. Everyone I knew - family, friends - they've all been erased like they never existed."

"Then how are you still here?"

"Despite all the travelling I do, I still don't know they whys and wherefores. The Doctor would say something along the line that because I was here for so long before it happened, I became part of this time." He sighed. "The act of opening the rift through time did away with every human life that would have ever existed. Add onto that the lives of aliens who existed only due to human interaction."

"But he said the new human empire would be even better, I never thought..."

"When an empire is created out of war and bloodshed, that's the only way it can be kept." He stood and headed for the door. "You have a choice, Lucy. You can do something to aid the human race, or do nothing and condemn them all to a half-life - if that. It's all in how you want to be remembered."

"Alan?" He halted and looked back. "Thank you for not thinking me a lost cause."

"There's always a chance at redemption. You just have to be willing to take that first step." He smiled and she gave him a small one in return. "Goodnight, Lucy."

He teleported back to the Doctor and told him of his conversation. "I think I got through to her. As long as she can stay strong against the Master, we've got an ally."

"And if not?"

"Then I guess I'll be part of the entertainment tomorrow."

* * *

The Master walked the empty streets of Bexley looking for the house sheltering Martha Jones. It amused him to think that only a year ago, people were going about their business and now they were cowering in cramped, crowded conditions. Oh, how he loved it!

He stopped in the middle of the road and called her name. "Martha! Martha Jo-hones! I can see you!" He was getting frustrated with this game of hide-and-seek. "Out you come, little girl. Come and meet your master." There was no response, no sound. "Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing?" Now came the part he enjoyed.

"Positions!" The soldiers prepared to fire on the houses. "I'll give the order unless you surrender. Ask yourself, what would the Doctor do?"

After a few moments, of the doors opened and out she came, clad in black like Little Miss Commando. "Oh, yes!" he clapped. "Oh, very well done! Good girl! He trained you well." He then saw the bag over her shoulder as she walked into the street. "Bag. Give me the bag." She began to walk towards him. "No, stay there. Just throw it."

She took off the pack and threw it to the ground between them. The Master then fired his laser screwdriver, destroying the bag and everything inside, including the weapon that could kill him. "And now, good companion, your work is done."

At that point, a man came running out of the same house Martha had been in. He charged, a gun aimed at the Master. "No!" he screamed.

The Master calmly changed his aim and shot the man instead. Martha glared at him as he chuckled. "But you...when you die, the Doctor should be witness, hmm?"

He inhaled deeply. "Almost dawn, Martha. And planet Earth marches to war." He nodded. "Take her."

* * *

Alan heard all the fuss early on and was awake by the time the Master came to get him. "Time for a reunion as promised."

He continued to pretend to be blind and Tish came to escort him away. "What's happening?" she asked.

"Martha. He has Martha."

The Master was then ready to broadcast globally. "Citizens of Earth, rejoice and observe."

The door to the conference room slid open and Martha entered, escorted by two guards. She walked forward alone and Alan watched as she saw her family and friends. Jack even made a move towards her, but halted when his guard lifted his rifle.

When she reached the base of the stairs, the Master spoke. "Your teleport device, in case you thought I'd forgotten." She reached into a pocket, took out the device and tossed it to him. "And now...kneel." She did and he smiled. The last of his opposition Martha did as instructed and the only thing that kept Alan from rushing the Master was the fact that all of this was part of the Doctor's plan.

"Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe." He spoke into the comms unit. "Are we ready?"

"The fleet awaits your signal," came the reply. "Rejoice."

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down." A clock on the wall began ticking away the seconds. "I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?" he called to the awaiting spheres.

"We will fly and blaze and slice! We will fly and blaze and slice!"

Those child-like voices spouting such cold-blooded phrases still made Alan cringe. They had to be stopped or everything would change completely. Alan would become a remnant of some forgotten age if he survived. Lord knows, he'd go down fighting. From his cage, the Doctor caught his eye and shook his head. Alan took a deep breath to keep his temper.

"Are you okay?" Tish whispered.

_How sweet of her to worry about him with all that was going on._ "I just find this hard to watch," he said with a wink.

The Master continued. "At zero, to mark this day, the child, Martha Jones, will die. Ha, my first blood. Ha, any last words? No?" He turned to the Doctor.

"Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This one's useless!" He looked back at Martha.

"Bow your head. And so it falls to me, the Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords! From this day forward-"

Martha began to chuckle.

"What? What's so funny?"

Alan smiled to see the Master so put out during his big speech.

"A gun?" Martha questioned.

"What about it?"

"A gun in four parts?"

"Yes, and I destroyed it," the Master said like he was speaking to someone a little slow.

"A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on. Did you really believe that?"

"The whole thing was a smokescreen," Alan said softly. "They wanted him to think she had a weapon."

"What do you mean?" the Master demanded.

"As if I would ask her to kill," said the Doctor.

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter," the Master said, trying to turn things to his advantage. "I've got her exactly where I want her."

"But I knew what Professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son. I told her about the gun, so she'd get me here at the right time."

_Docherty! I had forgotten about her._

"Oh, but you're still gonna die!" The Master was becoming impatient.

"Don't you wanna know what I was doing travelling the world?"

"Tell me." He sat on the stairs.

"I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said. I went across the continents all on my own. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

_Oh you sneaky thing,_ Alan projected at Martha. _Tell me like it's not really even part of the plan. Glad I could help._ He was rewarded with a small smile.

"Faith and hope? Is that all?

"No, 'cause I gave them an instruction. Just as the Doctor said" Martha stood. "I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time-"

"Nothing will happen!" He stood. " Is that your weapon? Prayer?"

"Right across the world. One word, just one thought, at one moment... but with 15 satellites!"

"What?"

_Oh, you've got him now. Brilliant!_

"The Archangel Network." Jack caught on to the plan as well.

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word...is Doctor."

The countdown reached zero and a glowing field surrounded the Doctor as he began to grow.

Alan couldn't tell if the Master was just annoyed or scared that things were now out of his control.

"Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don't!"

Alan then joined in with the others as they closed their eyes and simply said the Doctor's name over and over. He could hear it from the display screens as people all over the world gathered in groups chanting his name.

"Stop this right now! Stop it!" The Master was still trying to regain control.

Alan opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Lucy join in with the chanting. He then looked over at the Doctor and saw that he was free of the cage and back to his "Gandalf" stage.

"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices."

"I order you to stop!" the Master demanded.

The Doctor finally returned to his normal self. "The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking."

Alan laughed with relief along with Martha and Jack. The Master was none too pleased as he stood in shock on the stairs.

Still bathed in the glow of psychic energy, the Doctor levitated. "Tell me the human race is degenerate now when they can do this."

Martha ran to her family but Alan barely spared her a glance. He was too entranced by the interaction of the last two Time Lords.

"No!" the Master shouted as he fired his laser screwdriver at the Doctor.

The field around the Doctor simply deflected it. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Then I'll kill them!" The Master aimed his laser screwdriver at the Jones family.

Alan made to rush the Master but it was unnecessary as the Doctor channelled humanity's psychic energy to throw the screwdriver across the room with telekinesis.

Unarmed, the Master panicked. "You can't do this! You can't do- It's not fair!"

"And you know what happens now."

"No!" The Master began backing away as the Doctor floated towards him. "No!" he backed down the stairs and ended up grovelling against the wall. "No! No!"

"You wouldn't listen."

"No!"

"Because you know what I'm going to say."

"No!" The Master curled into a foetal position.

The Doctor landed, walked over to the Master and wrapped his arms about him. "I forgive you."

The Master stopped his whimpering as if he remembered something. "My children!"

The Doctor stood and yelled to Jack. "Captain! The paradox machine!"

"You men! With me! You stay here!" Surprisingly, the soldiers obeyed the man who, just moments ago, had been their prisoner.

The Master, it seemed, was not about to give up. He pulled out the vortex manipulator and activated it. The Doctor tried to stop him by grabbing hold and they both disappeared.

"Christ! It's never easy with you two, is it?" Alan muttered.

* * *

The Master was the first to stand on the rocky cliff. He was not about to give up. He spread his arms. "Now it ends, Doctor. Now it ends."

"We've got control of the _Valiant_," the Doctor said, stating the obvious. "You can't launch."

"Oh, but I've got this." The Master took out his remote. "Black hole converter inside every ship. If I can't have this world, Doctor, then neither can you. We shall stand upon this Earth, together, as it burns!"

"Weapon after weapon after weapon. All you do is talk and talk and talk." The Doctor was up on his high horse again. "But over all these years...and all these disasters, I've always had the greatest secret of them all. I know you. Explode those ships, you kill yourself. That's the one thing you can never do." The Doctor held out his hand. "Give that to me."

_I was so right when I called him sanctimonious. He won't give up on anyone. But he does know me and my weaknesses like I know his, which makes running a bluff nearly impossible._ He slapped the remote detonator into the Doctor's hand.

At that moment, the Earth shook causing them to fall to the ground. _I still have a way off this miserable rock._ He reached for the manipulator, possible destinations running through his head. The Doctor saw what he was doing and grabbed for it as well. Before the Master could stop him, the Doctor hit the return switch sending them back to the bridge of the _Valiant._

The ship was buffeted as time reset itself with the paradox machine broken. He clung to the rails as he waited for things to settle down and he could escape.

"Everyone down!" the Doctor ordered, "Time is reversing!" He fell to the floor by Martha and laughed like he was enjoying it.

Soon everything stilled and the Master knew the Doctor had wrecked yet another plan as he felt time change around them.

The Doctor stood and checked the controls. "The paradox is broken. We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past 8:00 in the morning."

The Doctor switched on the communications and they all heard a panicked man's voice. "This is UNIT Central. What's happened up there? We just saw the President assassinated!"

"You see? Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived," the Doctor said. "Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror, it never was."

While the Doctor was attempting to explain what had happened to the Joneses, the Master made a break for the door. There was still a chance he could disappear until he could get off this planet. The door slid open and his plans were dashed as Harkness and two guards entered.

"Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party." He turned to one of the guards "Cuffs!"

The Master stood there resignedly as Harkness restrained his hands behind his back. _How degrading! From ruler of the world to this!_

"So, what do we do with this one?" asked the captain as he pushed him back into the room.

Mr Jones and Tish wanted to kill him but Mrs Jones took it one step further and aimed a gun at him. "Go on! Do it!" _Maybe the drumming will stop!_

"Francine, you're better than him." The Doctor reached out, took her hand and she dropped the gun to the floor as the Doctor gathered her in a hug. Martha then embraced her mother and led her away.

The Doctor had taken away yet another option. "You still haven't answered the question. What happens to me?"

The Doctor faced him. "You're my responsibility from now on. The only Time Lord left in existence."

"Are you sure?" Kelly asked.

The Doctor nodded.

Harkness went to stand beside the Doctor. "Yeah, but you can't trust him."

"No. The only safe place for him is the TARDIS."

_Ugh, and I thought I had reached the lowest point but being the Doctor's...pet?_ "You mean you're just gonna...keep me?"

"Hmm. If that's what I have to do." He looked at Harkness and Kelly. "It's time to change. Maybe I've been wandering for too long. Now I'll have someone to care for."

A gunshot rang out and the Master felt the bullet enter his stomach and he staggered backwards. Stunned, he looked up and saw the gun in Lucy's hand. _How could she turn against me? Why did she shoot me? I gave her everything!_

The Doctor rushed to him and lowered him to the floor, cradling his head and shoulders. "There you go. I've got you. I've got you."

_First Chantho and now Lucy._ "Always the women."

"I didn't see her," the Doctor said apologetically.

"Dying in your arms. Happy now?"

"You're not dying, don't be stupid. It's only a bullet. Just regenerate."

"No." The Master refused. He would not spend the rest of his lives locked away in the TARDIS.

"One little bullet. Come on."

"I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse." _Defiant to the end, that's me._

"Regenerate. Just regenerate. Please! Please! Just regenerate! Come on!"

_I've finally gotten the Doctor to plead with me but not quite in the way I wanted. Is that a tear in his eye? _"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you?"

"You've got to. Come on. It can't end like this. You and me, all the things we've done. Axons? Remember the Axons? And the Daleks? We're the only two left, there's no one else. Regenerate!"

"How about that? I win." He needed to know something that only the Doctor could answer. "Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?" He discovered the answer for himself.

* * *

Alan could not get the picture of the Doctor rocking as he held the Master's body out of his mind. He had never heard such a plaintive sound before and had never seen the Doctor have such an emotional outburst. But to finally realize you're not alone, that there is someone with the same reference points and background, only to lose it one last time.

While Jack had taken care of Lucy, Alan had walked over to the Doctor, crouched down beside him, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, I'll help you with him."

When the Doctor looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Alan had wanted to comfort him. Without a word, Alan had helped the Doctor lift the Master's body and Alan took them back down to Earth. The Doctor then gently laid the body down and the two of them had gathered wood to build a funeral pyre. By the time they had finished, it was dark. Alan had then gone to find something to use as a shroud and some bindings. They had then wrapped the body and Alan helped the Doctor lift the body onto the pyre before retreating.

Now he sat on the dune and watched as the Doctor stared at the pyre a few moments before lighting the fire. He then walked over and sat next to Alan on the sand. Some would think this too honourable a death after all the Master had done, but it was the right thing. If they had left the body with the proper authorities, there would be a post-mortem and then everyone would know an alien had been elected Prime Minister.

The Doctor put a hand on Alan's shoulder. "Okay."

Alan activated his machine and took them back to the TARDIS. "I thought you'd like to get to work fixing her as soon as possible."

The Doctor rested his hand on one of the coral buttresses. "Thank you."

"I'll just go and check on the others then come by to see if you want help, okay?"

Alan made his way up to the bridge where he knew everything would be happening. He slipped in quietly as Jack and Martha spoke with as much of the crew as could fit into the room. It seemed to be a pep rally and counselling session wrapped into one.

"Just remember," Jack was saying, "outside the _Valiant_, no one will have these memories. More than likely, you'll have nightmares because of what you've witnessed, but don't let them rule you."

_I wonder how many memories Jack's had to come to terms with._

"Just stick to the story when questioned and you should be okay," Martha added with an encouraging smile.

As everyone filed out, some of the soldiers spotted Alan and saluted. His status as a superior officer was restored. He walked further into the room and Martha ran over and wrapped him in a huge hug. Jack, of course, had to get in on the action. This was the first physical contact the three of them had had in over a year - or a couple of hours, depending how you looked at it.

"Where is he?" asked Martha.

"Back in the TARDIS. I thought he could do with some time alone."

"And the other?" Jack wanted to know.

"We burned the body. He barely spoke the whole time."

"I guess fixing the TARDIS will be a type of therapy," said Martha. "Of course, when we see him, he'll say he's fine and not want to talk about it."

"The last one wasn't much for sharing either," said Jack.

"None of the ones I've met have been," Alan agreed.

"So we'll just have to let him know we're ready to listen," Martha said as she strode out the door.

"I told him we'd help put the TARDIS back to rights but he'll probably be in the midst of it. Also, I'd recommend neutral topics of conversation to keep him from closing up even further," Alan told them both as he and Jack joined Martha.

"Hey! I am very good with people!"

"Sure, when you want to charm them into bed. I'm just not sure how you'd handle a grieving friend who's just lost the only other of his kind."

"Fair point."

"You sound like a psychiatrist," commented Martha.

That reminded Alan of the last time he sounded like a shrink. "What about Lucy?"

"Under arrest for killing her husband," Martha informed him. "An abusive marriage won't hold much weight as a defence since most of it took place during a year no one else remembers. She'll need some serious counselling."

"Maybe I could put in a good word for her."

Jack stopped and stared at him. "What? Why would you do that?"

Alan told Jack about his conversation with Lucy. "So I feel a bit responsible," he said as they continued. "No, don't say it. I know I didn't make her pull the trigger, but I did plant the idea in her head. It's the least I can do." Jack smiled at him. "What?"

"It's just so...you."

They arrived at the TARDIS, and, as predicted, the Doctor had it torn apart, wires strewn everywhere. The Doctor was only visible from the knees downwards as the rest of him was hidden beneath the console. The TARDIS glowed a little brighter as they entered.

"The rest of the pit crew is here, Doctor!" declared Jack. "What would you like us to do?"

The Doctor scooted out and climbed up from under the gantry. His eyes were still a bit red, but he'd only blame the dust. He put them all to work at various tasks and thankfully no one brought up the recent "incident" so things went smoothly.

Some time later, the Doctor declared the TARDIS ready for a test drive.

* * *

Oh, she was so happy to be flying once more, to be connected to the vortex again. This was dimmed by the anguish her Doctor felt over the death of another Time Lord. But he had his human friends to help him.

She materialized at the designated coordinates and knew one would be leaving. She had relied on Alan during their time imprisoned together. He had acted like an anchor to her, a connection to her Doctor until he found her once again. He included her in his goodbyes and she saw how his friends greeted him when he left. She touched his mind with a gentle "thank you" before dematerialising.

She next materialized close to where this had all begun. The three of them stepped outside but remained close enough that she could monitor them. Now Jack was leaving. She would miss him too. She didn't understand why her Doctor was so surprised at Jack's words. She had sensed the similarities in the life-signs when they first met him but it wasn't until the first time on New Earth that she believed it.

The next stop was outside the Jones home so Martha could check on her family. She knew that Martha would choose her family first and tried to comfort her Doctor as best she could but stopped when she felt a horrible pain tear through her. She buckled and shook. _What has he done now?_


End file.
